Ana Archibald joined Thrive Scholars in May of 2016 as the Director of Programs. Prior to joining, Ana was Manager of Community-Based Mentoring at Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, where she was responsible for overseeing all programmatic and clinical functions of the Match Support team, serving more than 1,400 mentoring relationships annually. Ana has significant experience working with youth and young adults, having previously held positions at The DREAM Program and at the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern University. Ana holds a B.A. in Sociology and a Master in Social Work from Boston College, and is a native speaker of Portuguese.

Jasmyn joined Thrive Scholars in October 2020 as a Career Coach. As a Los Angeles native, Jasmyn lives by the motto “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper!”. She believes that college is a possibility for everyone no matter their background. Jasmyn strives to create amazing relationships with Scholars and loves that she can continue building these relationships while supporting Thrive Scholars.

Before joining Thrive, Jasmyn worked as a Career Program Manager at the Posse Foundation in Los Angeles, providing Posse Scholars with the tools needed to secure internships and full-time job opportunities in industry leading companies. Jasmyn brings over 6 years of experience building relationships with youth while managing academic and career success program in non-profit and higher education settings.

Jasmyn holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Child Development and Family Studies and Family Life Education from California State University, Long Beach. In her spare time, Jasmyn loves to test out new recipes, bowling, bike along the beach and play card games with family and friends. She also serves on the board of Pretty Women Pray Not Prey.

Cynthia Espinoza joined Thrive Scholars in November 2015 as the College Success Manager. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the first person in her family to attend college, Cynthia has a firsthand understanding of the importance of working to expand opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds. Before joining Thrive, she worked for the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund as program assistant for the Immigrant Rights and Education Equity programs.

Her prior experience was in the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Equity and Inclusion at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was an administrative assistant. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in American Studies and an emphasis on Diversity and Work. At Cal, Cynthia was an active leader on campus for Latino/a and women’s issues, as well as a strong advocate for greater awareness of the problem of domestic violence in minority communities.

Angie joins Thrive Scholars as the College Access Manager based in Boston, MA. Originally from Colombia, Angie grew up in small-town North Carolina where she was heavily involved in peer mentoring and graduation initiatives from a young age.

Before joining Thrive, Angie worked as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College where she was a member of the Access Team. During her time there, she oversaw the Dartmouth Bound visitation program, where she developed and coordinated programming to demystify the college admissions process for underrepresented high school students.

Angie is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations where she minored in Law & Society, Latina/o Studies, and Inequality Studies. A Hufflepuff to the core, Angie is excited to join the team to help ensure Scholars have every opportunity to thrive in high school, college, and beyond.

Jordan joins Thrive Scholars as the College Success Manager. She is excited to work with students and empower them throughout their college experience.

Jordan obtained a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration from Boston University. While at BU, Jordan held multiple leadership roles including Student Government President, Resident Advisor, and Student Advisor for the Office of Orientation. Jordan is a first-generation college graduate who was raised in Atlanta, Georgia.

Zachary Fruhling joined Thrive Scholars in 2020 as Director of Instructional Design. Zachary has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, both in the classroom and as an instructional designer and educational content author and developer.

Prior to joining Thrive Scholars, Zachary taught philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz and at several community colleges, including Cabrillo College, Evergreen Valley College, and most recently at College of Eastern Idaho.

Zachary was the Senior Learning Design Author for logic and philosophy at Cengage, a global education and technology company, where he authored and developed the highly successful Aplia online learning materials for logic and philosophy, used by college and university students nationwide.

Most recently Zachary was a Senior Instructional Designer for HotChalk, Inc. where he designed and built graduate-level online courses in a variety of disciplines for universities such as Concordia University, Nebraska and Concordia University, Portland.

Zachary is also a prolific writer, blogger, podcaster, and poet.

Kylia joined Thrive Scholars in November 2020 with over 13 years of experience in strategic partnership development. As Director of Corporate Partnerships, she is responsible for expanding Thrive’s partnerships with the business community in Los Angeles, Boston and across the country.

Kylia most recently served as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Chicago Children’s Museum, where she led the museum’s corporate and foundation fundraising efforts.

A former high school history teacher, Kylia holds a B.A. in History and Education from Hendrix College. She resides in Chicago, IL with her husband and their pup, and serves on the board of Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation Org.

Sarah joined Thrive Scholars in October 2020 with over 15 years of experience at growth-focused educational nonprofits. A specialist in foundation relations, as Senior Director of Institutional and Family Philanthropy, she is responsible for growing institutional support from national and local grantmaking organizations.

Prior to joining Thrive, Sarah held senior development roles at uAspire, the GreenLight Fund, and City Year. Sarah earned an MA in European and Eurasian studies from George Washington University and a BA in international relations from Michigan State University. She resides in Natick, MA with her husband and three children, and serves on the board of the Natick Community Organic Farm.

Nate joined the team in May of 2018. He has spent the last 15 years helping nonprofits in Boston build capacity by improving the way they collect, process and report on organizational data.

He most recently spent 6 years at Citizen Schools working closely with their leadership team to manage and report on all donor and volunteer information. He is a Salesforce expert and has given a number of presentations at regional and national conferences.

A graduate of Oberlin College, with a BA in Philosophy & Anthropology and Boston University with an MBA focused on nonprofit management, Nate lives in Jamaica Plain with his beloved family & two phenomenal cats.

Kahzah Mims joined Thrive Scholars as a Career Coach in May 2019. He has spent the past 10 years in student career development having previously worked as Director of Career Services for ITT Technical Institute and most recently as Career Development and Employer Relations Manager for Pepperdine University. Kahzah has a passion for helping students reach their full potential and providing them with the necessary knowledge to achieve career success. 

Kahzah is a first-generation college graduate who was born and raised in South Los Angeles. He not only brings a wealth of career advising experience, but he also can directly relate to the challenges that many underrepresented youth may encounter in their pursuit of higher education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Miami. 

Some of Kahzah’s personal interests include basketball, football, exercise, music, and experiencing new foods. He also makes time to volunteer in community service programs through his fraternity as well as provide leadership to local recreational youth sports programs

Stephanie joins Thrive Scholars as the College Access Manager based in Los Angeles, CA. Stephanie’s experience as a first-generation college student coupled with her passion for social justice has led her to work in college access. Before joining Thrive Scholars, Stephanie was a College Counselor at the Schuler Scholar Program. There she worked closely with Scholars and families to navigate the college process and help demystify access to higher education. She is excited to bring her experience in college counseling to Thrive Scholars!

Stephanie graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish. During her time there, she was involved in the Latino Student organization, community service and independent research. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games and exploring new places!

Eduardo Najera joined the Thrive Scholars team as the College Success Manager-Career Development on December 2017. As a first-generation college graduate, Eduardo has committed himself to supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds achieve their career aspirations. Eduardo graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in Government and spent three years working for the Center for Professional Development at Dartmouth. He has experience coaching students on all aspects of the recruiting process, from searching for opportunities to negotiating salaries. Eduardo is excited to contribute to the growth and empowerment of Thrive Scholars.

Dan joined Thrive Scholars as the East Coast Executive Director in October of 2018. In this role, he helps to marshal the city’s resources to support Scholars from the Greater Boston area and beyond, as well as manage foundation relations and grant writing for the organization nationwide. Dan previously served as the General Counsel of the May Institute, a national nonprofit serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, worked in Boston and Washington in advocacy organizations and government institutions and practiced law at a number of firms in Greater Boston.

Dan also serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations in the education, arts, and Jewish communities. He holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester.

Bethany Queior joined Thrive Scholars in July 2018 as the National Director of Mentorship, stewarding the design and launch of our national mentorship model. Previously, Bethany led various programs aimed at supporting positive youth development, with a focus on youth voice and building understanding through relationships. She brings a background in mentoring, mediation, and dialogue facilitation, with over 10 years’ experience leading programs in school, community, and residential settings.

Bethany holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Brandeis University, with a focus on Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies.

Vannessa joined Thrive Scholars as the Development and Communications Manager in August of 2020. As a first-generation college student from a low-income community, Vannessa appreciates the opportunities that educational access organizations have brought to her life. After earning her BA in Communications with a minor in Art, she journeyed through South America, lived in Australia, and worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama. She credits her education for opening doors to a world of new and global experiences. She is committed to providing educational opportunities to young people so they can also thrive. Prior to working at Thrive, Vannessa has held positions in independent school admissions, college advising, community organizing, and youth development.

She balances her work life with yoga, hiking, dancing, and eating out with friends. She also loves to travel and immerse herself in the beautiful differences the world has to offer.

Martha Sanchez joined Thrive in May 2017. She is a strong proponent of providing students support in reaching Higher Education to and through college. She brings over 5 years of experience in Education, including a strong background in College Admissions and High School Counseling. While in College Admissions, she was able to identify the needs of students and connect them to support programs, providing an easier transition from high school to college.

She has guided students through the college choosing and enrollment process in the Greater Los Angeles area, Inland Empire, Northern California, and Arizona. Martha is committed to ensuring that SCS scholars are afforded the opportunity to have access to resources that will support them as they apply, enroll, and persist to graduation. Martha obtained a B.S. in Business Administration and minors in Spanish and Psychology from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Johanna joined Thrive Scholars in February 2019 as a Career Coach.  Johanna has worked in higher education since 2005 advising and coaching students on career-related concerns work that she thoroughly enjoys.  Johanna understands how career identity is core to one’s overall identity and endeavors to help others find satisfying work.  She enjoys getting to know students and learning from them as well.  Her time in higher education spans three distinct institutions including the University of Detroit Mercy, Virginia Tech, and The University of Chicago.  Prior to her time in higher education, Johanna worked in the automotive industry as a mechanical engineer and supervisor.  Johanna holds a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and M.A. in Counseling from the University of Detroit Mercy.  Johanna is a native of Gary, Indiana, and has lived in seven different cities.

Steve joined Thrive Scholars as Executive Director in February of 2016, an organization that allows him to continue pursuing his lifelong goal of providing life-changing educational opportunities to underserved youth in our society.  Previously, Steve was the founding executive director of the Boston Debate League (BDL) following a ten-year career as a high school history teacher. Over eight years at the BDL, Steve oversaw its transformation from a staff of one to 18, a budget of $30,000 to $2.5 million, and 30 students to 1,000, leaving a legacy of rigorous and meaningful academic opportunities for thousands of BPS students and fundamentally transformed instructional practice across many BPS high schools. Steve holds a B.A. in history and philosophy from Emory University and a M.Ed. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Trevor joined Thrive Scholars in July of 2019. He spent the previous four years working in Cambridge MA with The Possible Project where he designed curriculum and guided students through an experiential program centered around entrepreneurship and youth development. In addition to his student-facing role, Trevor managed the day-to-day logistics of the Cambridge site and contributed to the creation of company-wide systems leading to an interest in operations.

Trevor was born and raised in North Yarmouth, Maine and developed a passion for business early on in high school. His father owned and operated a small business and he worked for several small businesses as a teenager, giving him a window into the inner workings of each operation. He went to Babson College and majored in Finance and Economics, but soon realized these industries weren’t going to provide the fulfillment in his work that he was looking for. A study abroad trip to Ghana his senior year at Babson helped guide him towards education and the nonprofit sector.

Trevor loves to be outdoors whether it’s hiking a mountain, playing spikeball at the beach or pickup basketball in the park. He loves to cook, go to concerts and play board games. But most of all, Trevor loves his Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox.

Karen Williams is a seasoned executive with extensive management experience in the private sector, higher education, and non-profit.  Most recently Karen served as Director of Alumni Professional Development for Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and Executive Director for the UCLA Anderson School of Management Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports.  Prior to joining UCLA Anderson School of Management, Karen spent twenty years in senior marketing roles working for blue chip companies including Disney-ABC, Time Warner, and Johnson & Johnson.

Karen serves on the board of Women in Cable Telecommunication (WICT) Southern California and the UCLA Anderson Alumni Board. Williams graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

She is a California native and resides in Los Angeles.

Born in Los Angeles, CA the 4th child of 9. During the summer between his 7th and 8th grade his family moved to a 40 acre farm in Battle Ground, WA where he learned to importance of hard work and gained an appreciation of seeing the fruits of your labor. Randy applied to and was admitted to George Fox College now George Fox University where he distinguished himself as a Track & Field Athlete. Randy graduated from George Fox College in 1973 with a BA degree in Bible and Christian Education and worked at the college as an Admissions Counselor recruiting students to attend GFC from throughout the West Coast. He took over the Head Women’s Track Coaching duties in 1978 at GFU and produced powerful teams during his tenure that won several conference and regional championships. He along with his 1980 Women’s Track & Field Team was inducted into the George Fox University Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2009 he was inducted individually as a Coach. In 1981 Randy joined his Father and Brothers who formed Jim Winston & Sons Excavating Contracting Business which worked on projects throughout the Pacific Northwest most notably being one of the first construction firms to work on the restoration project after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens receiving several commendations from The US Army Corps of Engineers. In 1989 Randy returned to the Los Angeles Area and began working for the Volunteers of America Talent Search “Think College” Program providing college admissions and financial aid information to low-income first generation to college students attending Crenshaw & John C. Fremont High Schools. In 2006 Randy became the first full-time employee of South Central Scholars now Thrive Scholars, primarily making contact with prospective scholars at their High Schools and assisting them thorough the process of selecting the right college or university that will meet their needs. Randy has developed an outstanding College Fair Liberal Arts Summit where some of the finest colleges and universities in the nation are represented as well as putting on numerous workshops on SAT Prep, Financial Aid, and Parent-Student Informational sessions.

Bob is currently Executive Chairman of Patient Care America and Chairman of the Sapphire RCMS Advisory Board. Mr. Funari has over 32 years of experience managing health care service, medical device, and instrumentation companies. He formerly served on the boards of directors of Beckman Coulter, Bay Cities National Bank (chairman), Community First Financial Group, First Consulting Group, and Pope and Talbot.

He received his BS in mechanical engineering, with honors, from Cornell University and his MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar. He and his wife Pam live in Long Beach.

Vanessa is a management consulting analyst at Accenture, focusing on healthcare and public service, especially state, local, and provincial government. She graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in government and a Certificate in Latin American Studies, writing a senior thesis on the Mexican criminal justice system through the prism of inequality.

Vanessa is a SCS Noonan Scholars Scholar and participant in the first SCS Summer Academy. Prior to joining Accenture, she interned at a film production and international sales company, a commercial solar energy company, and the Thrive Scholars Summer Academy.

Callum is a portfolio manager at Strategic Advisers, Inc. (SAI), a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company, where he began in 2000. In this role, he is responsible for managing portfolios that offer down-market protection. Prior to assuming his current position in February 2015, he served as team leader, fixed income research. Before joining Fidelity in 2000, he was a pricing and allocation specialist at Standish Ayer & Wood Inc. from 1993 to 1999. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics from Boston University and his master of science degree in finance from Suffolk University. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Joan is president and CEO of Herman and Associates LLC, a healthcare and management consulting firm, which specializes in consulting to managed care organizations, provider groups, pharmacy benefit managers, dental, vision and behavioral health companies, as well as to private equity firms investing in healthcare. Prior to that, Ms. Herman was president and CEO of the Consumer Business Unit for WellPoint, Inc. Ms. Herman serves on the Board of Directors of Convergys (NYSE:CVG), HealthSouth (NYSE:HLS), and AARP Services Inc. In addition to Thrive Scholars, she serves on the boards of other non­profit organizations, including the Venice Family Clinic Foundation, the Gabriella Foundation and Center Dance Arts.

Rick is a founder and Co-Managing Partner of Evolution Media, an investment company created in partnership with Evolution Media Capital (EMC), TPG Growth, and Participant Media, which invests globally in technology businesses within the sports, media, and entertainment industries. EMC is a merchant bank formed in partnership with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and offers investment advisory, asset management, industry research, capital raising services, and media rights advisory services. Prior to Evolution, Rick led the Film Finance group at CAA where he focused on the packaging and financing of feature films, as well as the structuring of film production and finance companies. Rick serves on the boards of Evolution Media, Evolution Media Capital, Fred Segal, Scopely, Jaunt, iflix, attn:, and is the Chairman of the Board of Inner-City Filmmakers and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Evelyn previously served on the board of South Central Scholars from it’s inception in 2001 until a few years ago.  Moved by the stories of the students, their drive and determination, coupled with the devotion and leadership of the Londons, Evelyn and her husband David have remained active in the South Central Scholars community through fundraising and keeping close ties with the organization.  Mother of four children, Evelyn actively participates in three different parent organizations and has also served as President of the Parent Association and Board Member of First Pres Preschool.  She is also a Girl Scout troop leader and a member of Everychild Foundation.  Evelyn graduated from Barnard College with a degree in Economics.

Martin Jacobs is an equity portfolio manager at Capital Group. He has 29 years of investment experience and has been with Capital Group for 16 years. Before joining Capital, Martin was an executive director and senior investment analyst at Brinson Partners, Inc. in Chicago and an industry analyst at Security Pacific Merchant Bank in New York. He was also a research analyst at the Wharton Center for Applied Research, Inc. Martin holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. Martin is currently a member of the Capital Group Companies Los Angeles Charitable Contributions Committee, a Vice Chairman of the Children’s Bureau of Southern California, a Director of the Board of Trustees of the Crossroads Community School, and a Trustee of Thrive Scholars.

Patrick Kirby has two decades of management experience spanning the corporate, public and nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President & Chief Growth Officer at The Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Before that, Patrick taught high school before taking on a range of leadership roles at Citizen Schools, City Year and in the Timberland Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility department. Patrick is a graduate of McGill University and has served on the Board of Advisors of Orchard Gardens K-8 School (Roxbury, MA), GroundWork USA, and Volunteer NH! and The Brookings Institute’s “Building Bridges Task Force on International Volunteering and Service.” He currently coaches nonprofit executives at the Tufts Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service.

Brian Lenihan is co-chair of Choate, Hall & Stewart’s Business Department. He represents private equity and venture capital funds in a broad range of financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts, majority and minority recapitalizations and growth equity investments. He has been named to The National Law Journal’s annual list of “Mergers & Acquisitions Trailblazers” and has been recognized in Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in America. He is a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee and the former co-chair of the firm’s Private Equity group. He received his JD, summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Boston College Law School and his BA, cum laude from Dartmouth College.

Sean is a graduate of Williams College with a masters in higher education administration from Stanford University. He spent six years as the Assistant Director of Admission at Williams in the early 90’s, followed by  a two year stint as the Associate Dean of Admission at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and then as the Director of College Counseling at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA from 2000-2006. From 2006-2010, Sean returned to his alma mater as the Associate Director of Admission. Before starting his tenure as the Director of College Counseling at Andover in the summer of 2011, Sean spent a year in the Harvard College Admission Office. In June of 2015, Sean was elevated to the Dean of College Counseling at Andover.

Jim is a graduate of UC Berkeley and received his medical degree from University of California San Francisco Medical School. He was a fellow at the Mayo Clinic. Prior to going into private practice he was on the full-time teaching staff as an assistant professor of surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine. He has been in private practice for over 30 years and has served as Chief of Staff at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital. He was previously active in The New York Times Scholarship Fund. Dr. London co-founded Noonan and South Central Scholars and serves on the board of both organizations.

Patricia is a co-founder of South Central Scholars and Noonan Scholars. In this role, she has supported both organizations through fundraising, strategy, and program implementation. She is a member of the Everychild Foundation and a former board member of St. Mary’s Academy and Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles. Patricia is a nurse and works with her husband Jim in their private orthopedic surgery practice. Along with her nursing degree, Patricia holds a degree in Philosophy.

Renita Smith is Founder of an independent consulting firm that guides companies in developing and implementing marketing, business development, and fundraising strategy.  Renita gained experience at companies such as Citicorp North America and General Mills. Renita has also served as Executive Consultant and Vice President of Strategy to the Los Angeles Urban League, and served on the Board of Trustees of Chadwick School.  She is particularly passionate about ensuring the success of underrepresented minority students in the STEM fields.  Renita holds a B.A. degree in Economics from Stanford University and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Russell focuses his practice on advising businesses on the intricacies of U.S. Federal and State tax regulations and advising non-profit charities and charitable foundations on Federal tax regulations and State charitable regulations as well as general business matters. Russell has extensive experience counseling businesses on tax matters relating to corporate mergers & acquisitions, tax planning, business restructurings, partnership taxation as well as certain international tax issues. He has considerable experience in drafting partnership agreements, reviewing and negotiating tax provisions found in merger agreements, and advising companies on tax structuring regarding international holdings.

Russell advises non-profit organizations, charities, and private foundations on a variety of issues ranging from start-up organizational matters through mergers and dissolutions. Russell provides guidance on joint-ventures and partnerships between non-profit and for-profit entities, including advice regarding state regulations and registration requirements involving commercial co-venture agreements.

Russell is a frequent speaker and writer on tax issues for businesses and non-profit organizations.

Jeff Weiss founded CCI, Inc. in 1986.  CCI runs exclusive ongoing forums where CEOs and senior executives from Global 1000 firms and large healthcare systems can explore strategies and growth.  CCI is partnered with major global consulting firms.  He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA, where he so-leads the Leadership Program for UCLA/Rand National Clinician Scholars Program (Formerly Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars).

In 1983, Jeff co-founded the Southern California Technology Executives Network (SO/CAL/TEN), a CEO development organization composed of 210 technology chief executives and sponsored by leading venture capital, investment banking, major law and search firms.  SO/CAL/TEN was recognized by Inc. and Fortune as one of the first and most successful high-tech networking organizations.

Previously, he was an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Bio-Behavioral Sciences at the UCLA Medical School and served as Director of the Department of Behavior Medicine at the UCLA/San Bernardino County Medical Center, where he taught Family Medicine and Introduction to Psychiatry to UCLA/UCR Medical Students.  He is a licensed Psychologist specializing in behavioral medicine, achievement motivation and career strategy.

Previously, Jeff was a Director at City of Hope Medical Center, High Technology Group, Chrysalis (a homeless employment organization) , Homeboy Industries and MindCare Solutions, a Venture funded Telepsychiatry Firm spun out of Vanderbilt. He was also a Trustee of the California School of Professional Psychology and was a Trustee of the California Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.

He received a PhD in Clinical Psychology and an MS in Organizational Development from the California School of Professional Psychology and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Tennessee Medical School.

Paul and Amy have been married for over 27 years and are blessed with four children. They are the proud founders of the Blavin Scholars Programs at the University of Michigan and Northern Arizona University which has thus far supported over 100 young adults who have experienced foster care to achieve their dreams of a post-secondary education and a better life. They are also the co-founders of Freehab, a residential life transformation program for homeless and incarcerated women ages 18-26 that are challenged with addiction, mental illness, and homelessness.

Paul graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and earned an MBA at Harvard Business School. Amy and Paul established FOR GOOD. in order to utilize multimedia to enhance the impact of their philanthropic efforts. In his prior career, Paul served as an investment banker with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, the President of First Mercury Financial Corporation, a publicly traded insurance company, and co-founded and managed a private investment partnership, PWB Value Partners, L.P.

Amy attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh majoring in Journalism.  Amy was on the board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and lead a group of former survivors back to their camps in Germany and Poland.  Amy is also on the board of Ready to Succeed which focuses on high level internships and career connections with former foster youth. Her focus is to give respect, attention and love to those that are most disregarded in society.

David is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at First Republic Investment Management where he manages portfolios for wealthy families and institutional investors. Previously, David co-founded Luminous Capital, a SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm, which was acquired by First Republic Bank in December 2012. He also serves as an Investment Committee member for Altair Investments, the alternative investments division of First Republic Investment Management.

David received his B.S. in Economics/Business (88) from UCLA and MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management (92). He is an Advisory Board member of the UCLA Anderson School of Management Fink Center for Finance. He also serves as a Trustee and the Finance Chair for the Carlthorp School in Santa Monica and is an Investment Team member for the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica. David resides in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Evelyn, and their four children.

Michael is the lead portfolio manager of our dedicated private equity funds, which have closed on US$2.4 billion since 2014 to invest in late-stage growth investments. He also manages institutional portfolios in the Multi-Cap Growth styles, drawing on research provided by Wellington’s regional and global industry analysts and other global research resources within the firm. He has spent a large part of his career investing in diversified portfolios in the small- and mid-cap equity markets, and he authors papers on topics concerning investment trends in late-stage growth and small-cap equity portfolios. He is a member of the firm’s Incentive Compensation Committee and previously served as the first male Advisory Board member of the Wellington Women’s Network.

Prior to joining Wellington Management in 1999, Michael was an equity portfolio manager at Kobrick Funds (1997 – 1999), State Street Research and Management (1992 – 1996, 1997), and Montgomery Asset Management (1996). He began his career in the investment industry as a technology analyst with Sanford Bernstein (1988 – 1990) and later with Cigna Investments (1991 – 1992).

He received his MBA from New York University (Stern, 1991) and his BS in accounting from the State University of New York at Albany (1984). Additionally, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Mel is the founder and Managing Partner of Nile Capital Group, a private equity firm specializing in providing capital and services to talented boutique and emerging managers of superior growth potential. Prior to founding Nile Capital Group, he spent a year and a half with Investec Asset Management as Director of Institutional Investments, North America. Previous to this, he spent ten years with Artio Global Investors as Head of Global Sales and Marketing and member of the executive management committee. During his tenure at Artio, AUM grew from $800 million to a peak of $78 billion ultimately resulting in an IPO and listing on the NYSE. Mel also spent nine years with Wells Capital Management in the capacity of Senior Portfolio Manager before becoming Managing Director of Sales and Marketing. He formerly spent five years with Salomon Smith Barney and its predecessor, where he was Vice President within Equity Sales. Mel holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and received an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. Mel also attended IMD, Global Leadership Program in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a member of the Los Angeles Society of Financial Analysts. Mel is on the board and investment committees of California Community Foundation, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, South Central Scholarship Foundation, and the Toigo Foundation Governing Board.

Cynthia (Cindy) and Sheldon (Shel) grew up on the east coast, met in London England as part of a semester abroad program, married in 1974 and moved to Los Angeles in 1985.

Shel is a founding member and principal of Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based institutional money manager specializing in alternative investment strategies. He co-manages the firm’s US and Global high-yield bond portfolios.  Prior to forming Oaktree, Shel was a Managing Director at Trust Company of the West (TCW).

Cindy has been active in the non-profit sector, having chaired Partnership Scholars, an educational enrichment program for economically disadvantaged youth.  She remains quite involved in supporting human rights and women’s health issues.  Also she is an active doubles tennis player at the Riviera Tennis Club.

Shel is a trustee of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and serves on the Investment Committees of Bowdoin College and the California Community Foundation, both of which he previously chaired.  He also teaches a second year MBA investment seminar at USC Marshall School.

Shel holds a BA from Bowdoin College and an MBA in accounting and finance from Columbia University.  Cindy received her BA from Connecticut College and her MBA in Marketing from Rutgers University.

Samantha spent most of her career at Viacom’s Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. Most recently, she held the positions of Senior Vice President of Research and Planning and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Since leaving corporate sector to focus on her family, Samantha has served on the board of the Putnam Indian Field School, and is an active member of the Rye Country Day School. Samantha holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA in European History from Wesleyan University.

Thery Badin is a management consulting senior analyst at Accenture, based out of Boston. There, he is aligned to the Applied Intelligence practice, focusing on digital transformations. Thery graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Engineering Sciences and Portuguese. Before joining Accenture, he interned with Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and at Microsoft.

Wendy Cassity is the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Nuance Communications, where she is responsible for the oversight of all legal, corporate governance, intellectual property, and regulatory activities across the company’s global operations. Prior to joining Nuance in September 2018, she was general counsel of Zayo Group, a publicly‑traded communications infrastructure company, as well as general counsel of a publicly‑traded natural resources company. Previously, she was in private practice as a corporate transactional attorney at both McDermott Will & Emery, LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore, LLP in their New York offices. Wendy holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona in English and history, and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Alison is a partner with the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, where her practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation, securities enforcement, and regulatory compliance.  For many years, Alison has been involved with the Boston Debate League, first as a judge and for the last several years as tabulation director for the BDL’s middle school division.  Alison has also served as a member of the BDL Advisory Board.  Alison holds a BA and MA from Loyola University Chicago and a JD from Boston College Law School.

Shawna is managing director of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Wellington Management. Shawna is responsible for building the firm’s inclusion capabilities, visibility, and impact through a variety of mechanisms, such as adapting best practices, directing business networks governance and programming, implementing diversity education or development offerings, and overseeing the firm’s partnerships with external diversity associations.

Prior to joining Wellington in 2011, Shawna spent 12 years in Human Resources at Genzyme Corporation in various positions supporting several client groups (1999 – 2011). She has over 20 years of generalist experience in human resources, diversity, and inclusion management across various industries including biotechnology, healthcare/hospital, distribution/manufacturing, and corporate travel. Shawna is a Certified Cornell Diversity Professional/Advanced Practitioner (CCDP/AP) from Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations, and a former adjunct instructor there. She earned her master of education with a specialization in adult and organizational learning from Northeastern University and her BA from Lesley University. She is a 2004 Fellow and 2016 Next Generational Executive Alumna from The Partnership, Inc. leadership development program.

Bob Giannino is the President & CEO of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Prior to joining United Way, Bob served as the CEO of uAspire, the nation’s leading nonprofit focused on helping young people and families navigate an affordable path to a postsecondary degree. Over 15 years, Bob oversaw the transformation of uAspire from a small, local organization serving 1,000 young people in Boston into a national, award-winning, enterprise reaching more than 25 states and 300,000 students each year. In addition to its direct service programming, uAspire’s policy and systems change efforts will lead to dramatically improved financial access to a college degree and economic opportunity for millions of young people.

Bob is the first in his family to attend college, a product of the Somerville (MA) Public Schools, and a graduate of Harvard College.

Michael H. Goldstein, MD, MBA, is Co-Director of the Cornea, External Disease service at Tufts University/New England Eye Center and is an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is also Chief Medical Officer at AGTC, an gene therapy company developing therapies for patients with retinal diseases. He has won the Resident Teaching Award at Tufts Medical Center, the American Academy for Ophthalmology Secretariat Award for Education, and the AAO Senior Achievement Award. Dr. Goldstein has been involved with private sector clinical research and biotechnology consulting for over 15 years. Dr. Goldstein attended Williams College, Northwestern University Medical, and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Dr. Goldstein also serves as Team Ophthalmologist for the Boston Celtics.

Larry Greenberg is a private investor and philanthropist who has lived in the Boston area since beginning his career at Fidelity Investments in 1986. After managing a variety of mutual funds at Fidelity, including the Growth Company and Emerging Growth Funds, Larry went on to found and manage the Mt Everest Hedge Fund with Greenberg-Summit Partners. Larry has held many roles in the Boston non-profit community, including Chair of the Board of Tenacity and board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Larry holds both undergraduate and graduate business degrees from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sheila Chen Lawrence is a Partner at Ballentine Partners, LLC, a client-centric investment and wealth management firm dedicated to integrity and independence. Sheila provides customized financial advice to her clients including estate planning, wealth transfer and investment management with a particular focus on philanthropy, financial education and coaching for the rising generation.

Sheila has volunteered as a mentor for Thrive Scholars since 2017, and spearheaded bringing eight of her Ballentine colleagues on as mentors. She also volunteers as the coordinator of the METCO Family and Friends program at her children’s elementary school. Sheila has a strong passion for environmental sustainability, and serves on the board of Lexington Community Farm Coalition.

Oscar Leong is a PhD student at Rice University in Computational and Applied Mathematics and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. His research focuses on using machine learning techniques to solve problems in inverse imaging. He received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Swarthmore College. Oscar is also a part-time Lecturer at Northeastern University in the Mathematics department.

Oscar is a SCS Noonan Scholars Scholar Alum and was a member of the very first SCS Summer
Academy class in 2012. He returned to Summer Academy as a Calculus Teaching Assistant.

Dr. Adrian B. Mims Sr. is the founder of The Calculus Project, a program dedicated to increasing the number of Black, Hispanic and low income students enrolled in Calculus Honors, AP Calculus and AP Statistics so they can pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).  He has successfully implemented this program in over twenty-five (25) schools located in Florida, New York and Massachusetts, and has won numerous awards and recognitions for this work.  Dr. Mims is a former adjunct faculty member at Simmons College, and also taught mathematics at Brookline High School for 19 years in addition to serving in administrative roles. Dr. Mims is a former trustee of the College Board and former board member of The Brookline Teen Center.

Frannie Moyer has been a teacher her whole life, from her first job teaching  high school English in Boston (1968-72) up to the present where she is now a volunteer mentor to Boston teachers and works coaching newly arrived immigrants at the Writing Center at BINCA. From 1972-1989, with her husband and three children, Frannie spent 17 years overseas, teaching in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, starting an international school in Panama, and Taiwan.  Returning to Brookline, she then taught high school English and served five years as Department Head at Newton South High School.  After “retiring”, she has taught teachers at Brandeis’s Ed Programs, volunteered as a teacher coach in a number of Boston schools, and presently serves on the board of WriteBoston.  She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters from the Teacher Corps Program at Boston College and later a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma (Panama program).

Joy St. is Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Wellesley College, joining the Admission Office in 2010 as its director. Joy holds an A.B. from Stanford University and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law. She has spent the last twenty years dedicated to issues of access and diversity in college admission and higher education. Joy began her admission career at Occidental College in Los Angeles and then moved to the east coast to work as Associate Director of Admission at Tufts University. Later in her career, Joy worked for a brief time as a college counselor and Director of Scholarships at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California. Immediately prior to Wellesley, Joy worked for seven years as Associate Dean of Admission at Amherst College.

Becky Vogel serves as the Director of School Partnerships with OneGoal, and has dedicated her career to improving access, equity, and diversity in higher education. She previously worked with the Posse Foundation, Citizen Schools, and the Boston Public Schools to improve outcomes for students on their paths to and through college. She holds a BA from Tufts University and Master’s in Education from Lesley University.

Robert H. Brook holds the Distinguished Chair in Health Care Services at the RAND Corporation, where he previously served for 19 years as vice president and director of RAND Health. He is also a senior principal physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and professor emeritus of Medicine and Health Services at UCLA. He led the Health and Quality Group on the $80M Health Insurance Experiment and was co-principal investigator on the Health Services Utilization Study. He was the co-principal investigator on the only national study that has investigated, at a clinical level, how Medicare’s prospective payment system affected the quality and outcome of acute hospital care. He was also the co-principal investigator on a joint activity of 12 academic medical centers, the American Medical Association, and RAND, the purpose of which was to develop appropriateness criteria and parameters for the use of procedures.

Brook received his M.D. and Sc.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

For over 30 years, Lauro enjoyed a multifaceted successful career both in fortune 100 corporations and in small entrepreneurial companies internationally and domestically. Before he retired from Amgen in 2019, he led a team of transformation specialists focused on multiple improvement opportunities and risks throughout the company. In this role, he created and led the Business Performance Team, the Acquisition Integration COE, the Enterprise Risk Management Board function and the Engineering Excellence Team. Prior to Amgen, he developed and managed multinational joint ventures in the satellite communications field in the Americas.

He was CEO of companies owned by Vodafone, Citigroup and Loral Space and Communications. Lauro was Satmex’s CEO where he guided the company through its privatization, corporate transformation and international growth. He began his career at McKinsey and Company in Mexico and later he also pioneered the startup of McKinsey’s operations in Brazil. He has served in multiple boards, the most recent being, the Board and Compensation Committee of Campus Crest Communities, an NYSE traded company. He also serves on the Board of UNETE, a non-for-profit organization taking technology to schools in impoverished areas throughout Mexico. 

He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Duke University he also studied Effective Corporate Governance for CEOs at Harvard.

Nancy Hinojos is a SCS-Noonan alumna who is currently serving on the Los Angeles board. After graduating from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Nancy received the Fulbright Fellowship in Binational Business. She currently works for Deloitte Consulting in Los Angeles, as a Strategy & Analytics Consultant supporting private and public sector clients to strengthen their data science capabilities.  At every step of her academic and professional career, Nancy has been a big advocate for diversity and inclusion. As an alumna board member she looks forward to supporting SCS Noonan Scholars as they continue to scale.

Stanley Iezman is ARA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, responsible for the strategic planning and direction of ARA’s investing and operational activities. ARA is a private equity real estate firm with over $10.2 billion of assets under management in equity, debt and preferred equity investments throughout the United States. He is a member of the firm’s Investment, Management, and Operations Committees and the Board of Directors. Mr. Iezman is a noted speaker on real estate investment and has authored numerous articles on related issues for real estate, pension, and legal industry publications. Mr. Iezman is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, where he teaches real estate asset management in the Master of Real Estate Development Program and is a member of the Executive Committee of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

He serves as a member of the Investment Committee and as a trustee for the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation in Santa Monica, California, which provides leadership to the Saint John’s Health Center and the John Wayne Cancer Institute. He also is a member of the Planning Committee for the USC Real Estate Law and Business Forum and serves on The Center Theatre Group’s Board of Directors which is part of the Los Angeles Music Center. Mr. Iezman is actively involved in The Urban Land Institute, where he sits on the Board of Governors for the ULI Foundation and participates in the Industrial and Office Park Development Council. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers; the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers; the Pension Real Estate Association; the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; the Real Estate Roundtable; the American Bar Association and was the Chair of the NYU Real Estate Institute’s Annual Conference on Pension Fund Investment in Real Estate for ten years.

Ramsey Jay Jr. (ramseyjayjr.com) is a widely recognized leading expert on leadership development and motivational speaking. He is Wall Street trained and Ivy League educated, an advisor to prominent business leaders, a sought-after international keynote speaker, and author of Weekly Life Lessons in Leadership. In April 2015 he was the recipient of UCLA’s Riordan’s Program inaugural “Excellence in Civil Engagement & Leadership Award”. His simple yet inherently powerful 3P’s methodology, (Possible, Probable, Predictable) has provided the functional platform that has enabled him to inspire others to achieve academic, professional and civic centered success. Of his own life story, Ramsey says “My journey has been blessed and afforded me the opportunity to be a blessing to others”. Ramsey earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno, where he was a five-time all-conference track and field athlete. He also earned a Masters in Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, where he was voted speaker of the 105th graduating class.

Masai Minters is the Director of University of California Los Angeles’ (UCLA) Academic Advancement Program (AAP). Masai has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the UCLA, and received his Bachelor’s in Psychology/Pan African Studies from CSU Northridge. Prior to his work at UCLA, Masai had over 10 years of entrepreneurial experience as an independent businessman in Los Angeles. His academic interests involved research in stress and depression in the African-American community.He has been active in various civil and human rights organizations and has numerous professional associations with groups and individuals involved with educationally and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Davidson Pattiz is the Chief Operating Officer at Zenith National Insurance Corp. Zenith specializes in workers’ compensation insurance nationally, as well as property and casualty insurance for California agricultural businesses. Davidson is responsible for operating units providing claims handling, medical management, claims-legal, SIU, bill review and document input services in fourteen regional offices throughout the US adjusting worker’s compensation claims. He previously held the position of Attorney at Skadden, Arps  LLP where he was a Defense Litigator.

Davidson received his BA from Brown University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He later pursued a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. 

Dr. Michael Quick was appointed Provost at the University of Southern California on April 1, 2015. He also serves as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and as Professor of Biological Sciences in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Emory University and studied as a post-doctoral research fellow at the California Institute of Technology. Before coming to USC in 2002, he was on the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Quick’s scholarship focuses on how therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse such alter the signaling properties of nerve cells. As the university’s second-ranking administrator, he oversees the USC Dornsife College as well as the Keck School of Medicine of USC and 17 other professional schools, in addition to the divisions of student affairs, libraries, information technology services, research, student religious life and enrollment services. Dr. Quick previously served as Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vice Dean for Research and Executive Vice Dean of USC Dornsife, and Executive Vice Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Jason Rednour is a partner in the corporate practice of Paul Hastings and a member of the firm’s private equity practice group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and corporate and securities law matters. Mr. Rednour previously served as an intelligence analyst and German linguist in the United States Army Military Intelligence Corps.

Timothy M. Teagle is Global Client Services Partner, Business Development Leader at Ernst & Young, LLP. Tim is a principal at EY and serves as the Global Client Services Partner for clients in the manufacturing, distribution, and media & entertainment industries. He is also the Business Development Leader overseeing the sales and marketing team for the Western region. Tim is responsible for all service lines, including Advisory, Assurance, Tax, and Transaction Advisory Services. Throughout his career, Tim has focused on leading sales force and customer management initiatives. He has led or served as a key team member for several sales and service transformation initiatives which have included customer segmentation, organizational design, compensation, sales force effectiveness, change management and systems transformation. Tim brings more than 20 years of sales and sales management experience in a consultative solutions environment. Before joining EY, he was the Regional Vice President of Account Management for Per-Se Technologies where he provided consulting and outsourcing in the health care field.

Godwin is a Data Science Analyst at Capital Group with a focus on Digital Marketing and Analytics. He graduated from Brown University in 2016 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and started his career working at Goldman Sachs in Corporate Actions.

Originally from Los Angeles, Godwin is also SCS Noonan Scholars Alum and a member of the first class of SCS Noonan Scholars Summer Academy.

Kari Van Gundy is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith National Insurance Corp. (Zenith), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (FFH.TO). Zenith specializes in workers’ compensation insurance nationally, as well as property and casualty insurance for California agricultural businesses. Kari began her career as an auditor, working for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (formerly Coopers & Lybrand) before joining CalFarm Insurance Company (a former subsidiary of Zenith), where she was Chief Financial Officer. Nationwide Insurance Company ultimately purchased CalFarm and she then led Zenith’s efforts to build an eCommerce small business workers’ compensation capability. She served as Zenith’s Chief Financial Officer for the past 9 years and became Zenith’s CEO in January 2015. Kari has served on several non-profit school boards and is currently a Director of South Central Scholars, a non-profit organization which assists and mentors disadvantaged inner-city students during high school and college.

Dave Wirtschafter is a board member at WME. As the president of the former William Morris Agency, he was instrumental in shaping its June 2009 merger with the Endeavor agency. Wirtschafter joined WMA in September 1999 after twelve years at International Creative Management. There he was Executive Vice President and agent, first in television and then in the motion picture department. He began his career at Creative Artists Agency in their business affairs division. Wirtschafter represents clients in every area of the entertainment industry, including writers and directors such as the Wachowskis (“Matrix”), Ridley Scott (“Prometheus,” “Gladiator,” “Robin Hood”), Bryan Singer (“X-Men”), Bill Condon (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2,” “Chicago”), Gus Van Sant (“Good Will Hunting”), Carlos Saldanha (“Ice Age,” “Rio”), Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “Lilo & Stitch”) and award- winning documentarian Ken Burns (“The War”); musicians such as Grammy Award-winners Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Jack White, Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Drake, Tyler the Creator, Janelle Monae, and Usher; author Malcolm Gladwell and British economist Noreena Hertz; fashion house Rodarte, and corporations like Starbucks. Wirtschafter is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School. He is married to Dominique Lett Wirtschafter, a screenwriter/director.

Arlene is a certified executive coach, consultant, attorney and certified mediator, human resources professional and corporate executive.  Now an executive coach, she most recently served as the National Director of Organizational and People Development for the Screen Actors Guild, whose 160,000 members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. Prior to that, she served as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans, which provides health and retirement benefits to over 120,000 participants and dependents in the motion picture industry.

Arlene received her BA from the University of Connecticut, where she graduated with highest honors.  She pursued doctoral studies in Cultural Anthropology with full fellowships from Yale and the University of Rochester, and received her JD from UCLA School of Law.  She resides in Los Angeles.